As I’ve mentioned in previous posts, I’ve been writing since I was 13. I was a dedicated creative writer with a soft spot for short stories. When I first started working as a professional writer, I expected to still keep up with my creative writing in my spare time. So, did I? And how did my relationship with creative writing change the more I got into business content writing? Read on to find out!

Relationships change with time

This is perhaps one of the most overused statements, but it’s true. Relationships change with time, which is a good thing rather than a bad thing. Regarding creative writing, the main areas I saw change really surprised me!

• It made me a bolder creative writer: Since I now work as a full-time business content writer, I spend a lot of time writing! It’s made me trust my craft much more, and I also have a lot of confidence in my ability to try just about any writing. So, when an opportunity pops up for me to work a bit on my creative writing, I don’t find I’m dealing with that crippling self-doubt as much. Since this is a common problem for freelancers, this is a very good thing!

• Creative writing became refreshing: I spend a lot of time writing articles and product descriptions, so when the time comes to really delve into creative writing on my own time, it’s like a breath of fresh air! It’s fun to get into trait descriptions, plot, pacing, etc. I really enjoy my creative writing time, and it can help me get out of a rut, too, if I feel that I’m struggling with my business writing for one thing or another. I’ve also used small creative writing projects to help cure writer’s block.

• Business writing and creative writing aren’t so different: If you compare these types of writing side-by-side, they would look and read very differently. However, having spent much time in both sectors, they aren’t as different as you would think. Both types of writing aim to entertain and connect with readers. The main difference is the angle that you are taking. Creative writing aims to entertain and pull readers in for the reading experience. Business writing aims to educate, entertain, and, ultimately, sell something.

Writing is writing is writing

At the end of the day, all writing is fun writing for me. I’m a writer through and through, so I’m happiest typing away at my keyboard. I don’t spend as much time working on my creative writing projects as I used to, but being a business writer definitely doesn’t hold me back. I feel that my creative writing days were my “training” for business writing. Does anyone else feel this way?

Fellow professional writers, how did you fall into your love of writing? I’m curious to know if my way is strange or normal! Do you find creative writing and business writing are different or similar? Let us know by leaving a comment!